IP Library Granted Patent US 11,066,355
Granted Patent B2
US 11,066,355 · App. 17/025,779 · Granted Jul 20, 2021

Branched tail lipid compounds and compositions for intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents

Inventors: Kerry E. Benenato (Sudbury, MA); Mark Cornebise (Arlington, MA); Edward Hennessy (Westwood, MA); Ellalahewage S. Kumarasinghe (Harvard, MA)
Assignee: ModernaTX, Inc.
C07C229/24A61K9/1272A61K31/713A61K47/543A61K48/005A61K48/0033
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,066,355
App. No.
17/025,779
Granted
Jul 20, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

The disclosure features novel lipids and compositions involving the same. Lipid nanoparticles (e.g., empty LNPs or loaded LNPs) include a novel lipid as well as additional lipids such as phospholipids, structural lipids, and PEG lipids. Lipid nanoparticles (e.g., empty LNPs or loaded LNPs) further including therapeutic and/or prophylactics such as RNA are useful in the delivery of therapeutic and/or prophylactics to mammalian cells or organs to, for example, regulate polypeptide, protein, or gene expression.

Claims (67)

1. A compound of Formula (1-1):

or its N-oxide, or a salt or isomer thereof,

wherein R′ a is R′ branched or R′ cyclic ; wherein

R′ branched is

and R′ cyclic is:

and

R′ b is

wherein

denotes a point of attachment;

wherein R aγ and R bγ are each independently a C 2-12 alkyl or C 2-12 alkenyl;

R 2 and R 3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C 1-14 alkyl and C 2-14 alkenyl;

R 4 is —(CH 2 ) 2 OH;

each R′ independently is a C 1-12 alkyl or C 2-12 alkenyl;

Y a is a C 3-6 carbocycle;

R*″ a is selected from the group consisting of C 1-15 alkyl and C 2-15 alkenyl; and

s is 2 or 3.

2. The compound of claim 1 , having the following structure:

wherein R aγ is a C 2-6 alkyl.

3. The compound of claim 2 , having the following structure:

4. The compound of claim 1 , having the following structure:

wherein R aγ and R bγ are each independently a C 2-6 alkyl.

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R aγ is a C 2-6 alkyl.

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R bγ is a C 2-6 alkyl.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R 2 and R 3 are each C 8 alkyl.

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein Y a is cyclohexyl or cyclopentyl.

9. The compound of claim 8 , wherein R*″ a is a C 2 -alkyl or C 3 -alkyl.

10. The compound of claim 2 , wherein R′ is a C 2-5 alkyl.

11. The compound of claim 3 , wherein R′ is a C 2-5 alkyl.

12. The compound of claim 4 , wherein each R′ is a C 2-5 alkyl.

13. The compound of claim 4 , wherein R bγ is a C4-6 alkyl.

14. A compound of Formula (2-1):

or its N-oxide, or a salt or isomer thereof,

wherein R′ a is R′ branched or R′ cyclic ; wherein

R′ branched is

and R′ cyclic is:

and

R′ b is:

wherein

denotes a point of attachment;

wherein R aγ and R bγ are each independently a C 2-12 alkyl or C 2-12 alkenyl;

R 2 and R 3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of C 1-14 alkyl and C 2-14 alkenyl;

R 4 is

wherein

denotes a point of attachment;

R10 is N(R) 2 ; each R is independently selected from the group consisting of C 1-6 alkyl, C 2-3 alkenyl, and H; and n2 is selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10;

each R′ independently is a C 1-12 alkyl or C 2-12 alkenyl;

Y a is a C 3-6 carbocycle;

R*″ a is selected from the group consisting of C 1-15 alkyl and C 2-15 alkenyl; and

s is 2 or 3.

15. A compound selected from:

16. An empty lipid nanoparticle (empty LNP) comprising a compound of claim 1 , a phospholipid, a structural lipid, and a PEG lipid.

17. The empty LNP of claim 16 , comprising about 40 mol % to about 60 mol % said compound, about 0 mol % to about 20 mol % phospholipid, about 30 mol % to about 50 mol % structural lipid, and about 0 mol % to about 5 mol % PEG lipid.

18. The empty LNP of claim 16 , wherein the phospholipid is selected from the group consisting of:

1,2-dilinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DLPC), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine (DMPC), 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC), 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DSPC), 1,2-diundecanoyl-sn-glycero-phosphocholine (DUPC), 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC), 1,2-di-O-octadecenyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (18:0 Diether PC), 1-oleoyl-2-cholesterylhemisuccinoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (OChemsPC), 1-hexadecyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (C16 Ly so PC), 1,2-dilinolenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-diarachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-didocosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DOPE), 1,2-diphytanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (ME 16.0 PE), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, 1,2-dilinoleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, 1,2-dilinolenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, 1,2-diarachidonoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, 1,2-didocosahexaenoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine, 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-rac-(1-glycerol) sodium salt (DOPG), sphingomyelin, and mixtures thereof.

19. The empty LNP of claim 16 , wherein the structural lipid is selected from the group consisting of cholesterol, fecosterol, sitosterol, ergosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, brassicasterol, and mixtures thereof.

20. The empty LNP of claim 16 , wherein the PEG lipid is selected from the group consisting of a PEG-modified phosphatidylethanolamine, a PEG-modified phosphatidic acid, a PEG-modified ceramide, a PEG-modified dialkylamine, a PEG-modified diacylglycerol, a PEG-modified dialkylglycerol, and mixtures thereof.

21. The empty LNP of claim 16 , wherein the PEG lipid is selected from PEG 2k -DMG and PEG-1:

and mixtures thereof.

22. A loaded lipid nanoparticle (loaded LNP), which comprises the empty LNP of claim 16 and one or more therapeutic and/or prophylactic agents.

23. The loaded LNP of claim 22 , wherein the one or more therapeutic and/or prophylactic agents is a nucleic acid.

24. The loaded LNP of claim 23 , wherein the nucleic acid is an RNA, and wherein the RNA is selected from the group consisting of a short interfering RNA (siRNA), an asymmetrical interfering RNA (aiRNA), a RNA interference (RNAi) molecule, a microRNA (miRNA), an antagomir, an antisense RNA, a ribozyme, a Dicer-substrate RNA (dsRNA), a small hairpin RNA (shRNA), a messenger RNA (mRNA), and mixtures thereof.

25. The loaded LNP of claim 24 , wherein the RNA is an mRNA.

26. A pharmaceutical composition comprising the loaded LNP of claim 22 and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

27. A method of delivering a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent to a cell within a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject the loaded LNP of claim 22 .

28. A method of specifically delivering a therapeutic and/or prophylactic agent to an organ of a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject the loaded LNP of claim 22 .

29. A method of producing a polypeptide of interest in a cell within a subject, the method comprising administering to the subject the loaded LNP of claim 25 .

30. A method of treating a disease or disorder in a subject in need thereof, the method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of the loaded LNP of claim 22 .

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 19, 2025
From: MODERNATX, INC.
To: ARES CAPITAL CORPORATION, AS AGENT
Reel/Frame 073634/0354 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 29, 2021
From: BENENATO, KERRY E.; CORNEBISE, MARK; HENNESSY, EDWARD; KUMARASINGHE, ELLALAHEWAGE S.
To: MODERNATX, INC.
Reel/Frame 056081/0981 →